The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1887-08-31

She rose up with languid yawn, and
in stepping toward the window, trampled
on some fiat substance. She stopped
down and picked up Johns pocketbook |
'Bless me" " she exclaimed, smiles
dimpling her rosy checks, "what q
lucky findi ] wonder what's in itg'
She smilingly unclasped it, and roll
of bank notes fell out, which she counted
with swift precision.
"Two hundred exactly" she eiacula-
ted. "And John said he could not spare
the money. Well, what belongs to my
husband belongs to me, and will have
that set of sapphires n'
She laughed gleefully as she waltzed
out of the room to dress, for she impul-
sively determined to secure the sapphires
before John would miss the money. De-
light lent haste to her nimble fingers, and
before many minutes she was on the
street looking so bright and fresh in her
walking suit of Quaker drab that many
an admiring eye followed the graceful
figure.
Poor, needless Cecil never thought of
the consequences of her foolish act, al
though she expected John would rebuke
her severely for spending the money; but
she trusted to his leniency and her own
powers of persuasion to soften his wrath.
lie had never, as he said, refused her
anything in reason, and if this was an
apparently useless purchase, she could
easily turn the jewels into money, if the
rainy day John was always predicting
ever arrived.
On her return from Raby & Co. IS,
with the jewel casket safely slowed
away In her pocket, she was brought to
a sudden standstill by meeting her hus-
band coming out of the dinng-room
with a perturbed and anxious counte.
nance. Her face flushed guiltily, for she
knew, or imagined she did, the cause of
his agitation.
Cecil he said hurriedly, 'I have
lost my pocket-book Did you find it?"
"Lost your pocket-bookp echoed Mrs.
Morgan, feigning great surprise and
evading his questlon-not that she meant
to deny finding it, but the confession re-
quired more moral courage than she could
muster at present.
"Yes, lost my pocket-book," repeated
Mr.. Morgan in troubled voice; ''and
the money in it belonged to the firm"
Mrs. Morgan's heart stood still with
CONSERVATION, and she grew white to the
lips.
John, " she gOsped, as if something
was choking her, tell mellow it vast"
at was this way. Macray gave me
two hundred dollars as | was leaving the
Office yesterday evening to pay bill we
owed lIenby & Sons. But they were closed
when Preached their office, and brought
the money home with me, intending to
pay il as | went down town this morn
| ing; but owing to death in the family
| the store was still closed, and never knew
had lost the money until had reached
our own office. Cecil are you sure it's
not in the house"
IL am sure I don't know" STAN
mered Cecil, too overwhelmed with fear
and modification to think nationally.
Not Johns money! She felt dazed
and crushed, and totally unable to con-
fess her folly. She dropped into hall
chair, looking so weak and ill that John
forgot his own trouble in anxiety for
| Cecil.
"You must not be so frightened, wife, -
he said kindly; ''it may turn up in the
house. Come, help me to search for it."
Cecil rose up mechanically, and fol-
| lowed him from room to room, listening
/ in mute terror, to his regrets, when the
| pocketbook could not be found. Invol-
UNFAIRLY her hand went down into the
| pocket of her dress, and as she clutched
the jewel case in her cold fingers deadly
| faintness almost overcame her, for, try as
she would, she could not draw it forth,
or force her lips to confess what to her
awakened conscience seemed nothing less
! than theft. She knew her husbands in
dignation would be deep, although not
loudly expressed, for dishonesty of any
kind was contemplate in his eyes.
Would he excuse it IN his wife2 All, no !!
and as the sinful aspect of the affair pre-
sented itself to her mind, her shame and
agitation increased, and she found it
still more difficult to confess her error
"It's strange" commented Mr. Nor
gan, musingly, as after thoroughly search
ing the rooms, they paused in the hall,
II must have dropped it in the house,
and it cannot be found. Or, could any
one have pickedmy pocket, Cecill A
startled expression came into his eyes,
and he hastily examined the inside pocket
of his overcoat.
mo" he said, with a light laugh,
"no one could pick that pocket without
my knowledge. 1t must have fallen
out" lie looked keenly-without any
suspicion of the truth, howcver-at the
| lovely, downcast face of his wife.
''Cheer up, little wife, he said, with
affected gayety. 81 must go back to the
office; but you keep a sharp lookout for
the money. 1t may have got knocked in
to some dark corner"
'Does-does-n stammered Cecil, hot
with feverish anxiety; "does the firm
know itP
'Macray does. told him before left
the office"
And John Morgan shut the door with
a bang, an unusual roughness for him,
leaving his wife standing in the dip light,
as if stricken dumb.
=
The large, roomy office in the COM
mission house of Macray & Co. was a
blaze of golden spring sunshine, as John
Morgan, flushed with his walk through
the crisp morning air, entered it, after his
| fruitless search. His face wore a troubled
expression as he went up to Mr.. Macray,
/ a white haired, benevolent man.
Il have searched the house etfectually
for that pocketbook, and"
"You did not find it, John" quickly
interrupted Mr.. Macray, with a curious
smile.
J .tNo s;r I 1;1 NOT. and cannot ~ -